Four of the victims died on the spot, while two succumbed to their burn injuries during treatment. / Photo: AFP

Six people have died after two fuel trucks collided and exploded in southern Niger.

"Six people were killed and about 30 injured in the explosion when they tried to obtain fuel," an official from the Zinder governorate said.

The Zinder-Infos website said two trucks collided and rolled over on Sunday evening at Tirmini, about 10 kilometres (six miles) from the town of Zinder. Local residents then came running to siphon off fuel from the trucks when one of the vehicles caught fire, Tirmini's mayor told Zinder-Infos.

Four people were killed in the blast while two others died at the local hospital from their burns.

An oil refining company operates at Zinder, around 1,000 kilometres from the capital Niamey.

In May 2019, a total of 76 people died and 40 were seriously burned when a truck transporting 50,000 litres (13,200 gallons) of petrol to neighbouring Burkina Faso exploded.

AFP